While it’d be fun to craft a post about frying little orbs of dough, I don’t actually know how to do this, and if I did, why risk third degree burns when the holy grail of donuts exists in two handy locations? Seriously though, it’s actually time to make more butt wipes because I’m almost out. “Huh?” you may inquire. “Whaa–?” I’m talking about DIY baby wipes people, and there are scads of reasons to make them even if you don’t have a soft whittle baby bum to wipe.
Suggestions include*:
- hand wipes for everyday, on-the-go uses
- body wipes for after gym, camping, mid-day refresh, etc.
- make-up remover facial wipes
- pet wipes for fur or messes
- disinfectant cleaning wipes**
These wipes seriously take about five minutes to make:
- First, cut a roll of regular-sized Viva paper towels in half – these must be Viva; they truly are soft and strong like cloth! Here’s a printable coupon.
- Next, mix a solution of two cups boiled or distilled water, one tablespoon oil (I prefer grapeseed, jojoba or olive oil) and two tablespoons of baby wash or suds of your choice. If using a concentrated soap such as California Baby or Dr. Bronner’s, one tablespoon will suffice.
- Swirl it all together and then dump the solution over the roll, really saturating the hell out of it. Let the mixture soak into the roll for a few minutes before sliding the cardboard roll out. If it’s at all difficult, wait a bit longer. Thread the center wipe through the top of the container and…
Ta da! Mission accomplished!
Variations – the possibilities are endless!
- antimicrobial essential oils – use two drops for baby wipes (I like calming lavender), five drops for face, up to 15 for body, and a 1/4 teaspoon for cleaning. NEVER use essential oils on pets as they can be toxic.
- grapefruit seed extract for its anti-fungal properties – use same quantities as above
- 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar – antifungal/antibacterial
- 1/4 cup aloe vera gel – heals, soothes and moisturizes
- replace the oil with an infused oil (by herbs, flowers, bark or roots) Huh? This book and this book are great resources for how-tos.
- store wipes in the fridge for a seriously refreshing experience
* While it’s always best for the environment and your skin to use cloth towels and wipes, sometimes you need the convenience of disposables. Making your own saves a LOT of moola, reduces packaging waste and while paper towels are bleached, you’re in complete control of what goes into the solution. If you use 100% cloth all the time (if so, my hat is off to you!), whip up a batch of solution, pour into a jar or spray bottle and wet the cloths before wiping. Stellar fabric choices for DIY baby wipes include flannel, sherpa or hemp fleece. Why not re-purpose an old pair of jammies, towel or pillowcase?
** the solution for disinfectant cleaning wipes is a bit different than that for a bum:
- 1 3/4 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon liquid detergent or soap (I use Seventh Generation dish liquid)
- up to 1/4 teaspoon antibacterial essential oils of your choice. Good combos include: rosemary, peppermint and a dash of sage, or lavender and lemon with a dash of rosemary or peppermint.
Update: I feel it important to mention that some sources claim lavender and/or tea tree oil may not be good to use on baby boys. I’ve read the research and have chosen to use both EO’s in moderation with my child; I encourage you take the time to research it and come to your own conclusion.
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11 Responses to “time to make the donuts!”
on April 28th, 2010 at 4:23 pm #
[...] or Crazy Baby. If you want to add an extra kick of germ-killing power, add up to a 1/2 teaspoon antibacterial essential oils of your choice. Today I used a combination of 18 drops lemon, 14 drops peppermint and 2 drops [...]
on May 20th, 2010 at 12:12 pm #
[...] – in other totally cool, yet entirely random news, yesterday I made more diy baby wipes so I figure each half roll of paper towels lasts about three weeks, so we’re spending less [...]
on August 1st, 2010 at 2:28 pm #
[...] way to re-purpose unused ice cube trays and store your precious elixirs. Now whipping up a batch of wipes and cleaning spray is even [...]
on September 15th, 2010 at 10:51 am #
[...] made more of these and [...]
on September 16th, 2010 at 11:44 am #
[...] live: diy baby wipes, not just for babies: time to make the donuts! [...]
grrrlll…i am loving your blog. it keeps getting better and better. we did homemade wipes with our first…with the second she just gets a cloth wet with warm water. poor thing!
Thank you Latisha! I am so curious to know how you use cloth wipes! I’m wondering: do you toss your wipes into the washing machine as is, or do you swish them around in the toilet before sending them to the washing machine? I would really like to switch to cloth wipes as we do cloth diaper, but I’m not sure how that works out logistically.
oh you should! so easy. cheap, reusable, gentle on the bum and much easier to clean the poo with in my opinion. we just toss em in the pail (just a dry pail) as is. and wash on wash day. i only rinse out if it’s a giant toddler poo. and we have the bum genius sprayer for that. which i love! no smells in the pail nor the washer. though i do give the washer a vinegar soak/rinse once in a while.
on April 27th, 2011 at 10:37 am #
[...] pure antibacterial essential oils such as tea tree, lavender, or eucalyptus (find more suggestions here). I use Aura Cacia’s First Response blend- it smells* amazing! A bottle of this is perfect to [...]
Where did you get the container for the wipes?
It’s an old baby wipes container. I’ve found that it’s becoming difficult to find them in that shape, but you can fold the paper towels accordion style before pouring the liquid over and place them in a rectangular wipes container or Tupperware container (and cut a slit in it) for another option. Whatever you use, just be sure to cover the opening somehow so the wipes do not dry out.